What not to do as a human
by yesimadramaqueen
Summary: Rose and 10.5 decide to start an average life together without aliens and saving the world, but being human isn't as easy as he thought. He always seems to find trouble wherever he goes. 10.5/Rose. Fluff, romance, comedy, family, and some drama. Features the Tylers: Jackie, Pete, and Tony. A story about an ordinary life for an extraordinary couple.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter one: Bad Wolf Bay**_

Rose stood on the soggy sand of Bad Wolf Bay in utter shock. Her mouth was slightly agape and her brow was furrowed. The TARDIS was disappearing before her very eyes and more than likely for the last time. She felt a hand take hers, squeezing her fingers gently. They glanced at each other, and then she stared at the empty space.

"He left me," she stuttered in disbelief. "He actually _left_ me! I go from universe to universe to find him, and what does he do? He _leaves_ me!"

It was at that moment Rose let go and folded her arms defensively. She couldn't see straight. Anger, pain, loss, and love were blinding her vision. To make it worse, the Doctor's double was looking at her in the same way the real Doctor would. His dark eyes were swirling, but he remained stoic.

"But, don't you see why?" the double asked desperately. "It was because—"

"You wouldn't know," she scoffed.

He cleared his throat. "Actually, I think I would. He's me and I'm him. If anybody knows what the Doctor thinks or feels, it's the Doctor."

"You are not the Doctor."

His heart sunk. He thought about it for a moment and felt his chest. Just one heart. How did humans manage it? "The meta-crisis did change me. I'm half human. And, by the way, I have a bit of Donna Noble in me. Not sure how that's going to manifest. She's brilliant, my best mate, but she can be…loud…as you know. Oi! Oi! Oi! All the time. _Watch it spaceman, oi!_ She's something else, that Donna! First time we met, right after…" he paused, his grin fading at the bored look on Rose's face. "What I'm trying to say is that other than those things, I am the same man. Look, same smashing face. Same sultry voice. Same extraordinary ego. Same memories, other than after I was…well…created. My body may be human, but my mind is still Time Lord. Well, I'd say ninety-five percent Time Lord, five percent Donna. Or some other ratio that leaves a majority to being the Doctor. That's me, anyway! Same, rambling Doctor."

"The Doctor said you were dangerous. The man I know wouldn't have killed all of those Daleks."

They were facing each other, arms folded, and completely irritated by one another. "He only said that I was dangerous for two reasons. One, I'm human and humans can be unpredictable. Two, it's an excuse to leave me here. As for the Daleks, I had to! They would have kept terrorizing the universe! It isn't like I haven't killed before."

"But only if that was a last resort! We won. They were disabled and the weapon was destroyed. But no, that wasn't enough for you. You went and killed them."

"They'd have come back, Rose. A new weapon, more Daleks."

"And you'd have stopped them again!" she paused, back peddling. "The Doctor would have. He always manages to show up when he's needed."

He smiled smugly. "You called me the Doctor."

"I didn't mean it."

"And you snogged me earlier."

"I was caught up in what you said. It sounded like him."

"It _was_ him. What did I say?"

She looked away. "No."

"C'mon then. Out with it."

"I said no."

He leaned in with a goofy grin. "Rose. Say it."

"Cut it out!"

Jackie had been waiting nearby for the ruckus to end. Besides, it wasn't like they had a way of getting back. She did send a text to Pete, letting him know they were alive and at the bay. But, it'd be a long, long time before he got to Norway. Deciding to jump in, she stepped closer. "I would like to know."

"Mum!"

"Jackie, bless!" the double laughed.

Rose, entirely defeated by the two waiting stares, managed to repeat the words. "I love you."

Jackie initially smiled and then wacked the double's arm. "You think you're good enough for my daughter, Doctor number two?"

"I know I'm not. But, then again, I don't think anybody is."

Jackie made an _aw_ sound and Rose felt herself blushing. She kept telling herself that this man wasn't her Doctor. Her Doctor was off on adventures and deserted her. Yet, the bloke before her was gazing into her eyes with a serious expression. Her heart fluttered.

"I tell you what," she began slowly. "I'm going to ask you a few questions about our past. Things only the real Doctor would know. And it isn't like there's much else to do," she pointed out, sweeping the barren beach with her eyes.

Jackie wanted to overhear, but they both watched her until she held up her hands and pointed to the rocks. "I'll just be waiting over here then. Dad's on the way with the jeep. Told him to meet us here, or if we make it to a town."

She went away and left them to it.

"Okay. Back when we first met, you were going to take me to Naples in the 1800s. Do you remember what you said to me when we landed?"

He nodded. "I called you beautiful. Considering that you're human."

She hesitated, surprised by how easily he remembered. "When you changed into this Doctor, I said that I heard a song—"

"And I told you that I sang a song and Daleks ran away. And then I told you to imagine me with two heads or no head. _And then_ I told you that you were fantastic. And so was I. Let's see, there was Christmas. You whispered in my ear. Woke me up. Asked for my help. There was New New New New New—and so on—New York. We laid on my coat in the apple-grass. You said I was so different and we talked about our first date. We had chips. And there was the time that we found ourselves in Scotland. Saw werewolves and you bet ten quid you could get Queen Victoria to say that she wasn't amused. She did. Still haven't paid you back, have I? Think, what else…ah! Arthur the horse on a spaceship. Scared you to death on that scooter in the fifties. Talked about mortgages and carpets on an impossible planet. Edible ball bearings. Ghostbusters. Then, there was Torchwood. You were lost, but I could feel you through the wall. Through the Void. You came back when the stars were going out. I ran to you, but we both know how that went. You held me and I said long time no see. Last thing I remember before I was…you know…is you holding my hand. I thought the TARDIS was lost. That's when I woke up. Naked, actually. Came to save the universe. To save you. And the only reason the other Doctor left us here is to give us a chance. The one we never had before. And you know what? It's always been you, Rose. Even after all this time."

She felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "Always been me? Nobody else took my place?"

"Of course not," he laughed. "I know that I keep changing on you; regenerations, different faces, different personalities, and now this. But one thing hasn't changed."

"And that is?" she sniffed.

"I told you earlier."

Her eyes lit up and she forgot herself, tossing her arms around his neck. He held onto her tightly, inhaling the sugary sent of her hair. His lips found her temple and she pulled away, wiping the runny mascara. "All right. So. This is just. Another change. You. Part human. No TARDIS. But still you. And you wanna make a go of it…with me?"

"You bet I do. Do you?"

She thought for a moment. If there could be multiple versions of people in other universes, such as her dad, then there could be two Doctors. That didn't make the one holding her in his arms any less real. So, without hesitation, she grabbed him by the shirt and kissed him again. In the distance, Jackie started clapping and shouted, "You best take care of her! I've got money in this world, and I can take you right out of it!"

They pulled apart laughing. "Shut up, Mum!" Rose giggled. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Well, you might have to put up with her for awhile…" the double murmured. "How are we supposed to get off this beach?"

They looked around and sighed. It was a long way from London to Bad Wolf Bay. A long, long way…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two: Average **_

_A full day later…_

Rose stirred as her alarm sounded, shutting it off with a grunt. Her hair was a wreck and her eyes were barely peeled. She sat up in her bed at Pete Tyler's estate, stretching and yawning. Slowly, her gaze drifted down to the man sleeping beside her in a pair of her father's pajamas. He was curled up on his side and clutching the covers with both hands. She smirked and gently shook his back. "Wake up, sleepy head."

"No," he mumbled. "God, how do you humans cope? One heart, needing eight hours of sleep, feeling as though you've had half your life force drained when you wake up, always hungry, slower brain processes…" he stopped as she laughed. "What?"

"You used to talk about humans like they were an inferior species. Now look at you."

He rolled onto his back, letting out a long yawn. "Yesterday, that long drive back here, it was so _slow_ and even though I was just sitting in a jeep I was so _exhausted_. Once upon a time, I could go for weeks without stopping for anything."

"You're one of us now," she teased with a grin.

He grimaced. "I'll never regenerate. No more face changing. Which is good. I rather like this face. Dashing, I'd say. But, hold on…that means that I have to be _careful_. Rose," he whined. "I can't do stupid, heroic things anymore. And no more TARDIS. I miss the old girl. So, she's not the sleekest spaceship, but she's taken us to marvelous places in space and time. And oh! My sonic screwdriver! I don't have my sonic screwdriver! What will I do?"

"Let's see…" she hummed, curling up beside him. "You'll open doors by undoing the lock. You'll fix things by hand. And, if you want to break into computers, you'll have to hack like a regular bloke."

"But…that's extra work."

"Welcome to being human. Speaking of," she tapped his chest with her fingers, lost in thought. "We have to talk about your name."

"The Doctor isn't a good name?" he frowned.

"Not here. People will think you have a doctorate from university. You need an average name."

"John Smith!" he declared happily. She stared at him. "Why not?"

"That's too average. There must be millions of those in the world," she answered. "And don't say you don't want to stand out. This is you. Double-duplicate-copy-meta-crisis-human-man, but still you. I know that you like attention."

He scoffed. "No. Well, maybe a little. But I like John Smith. It's got a nice ring to it."

"John," she repeated, studying him. "You could be a John. But no. Not Smith. I don't like that name. We know too many Smiths. Sarah-Jane. Mickey."

"Two people," he chuckled. "That's too many?"

She hit him playfully. "You know what I mean! It's just."

"What?"

"Nothing."

He gave her a skeptical look. "It's something. I can see it flickering in your eyes."

"It's silly. You know how girls are. Head in the clouds."

The double may have been human, but he wasn't slow. Rose was thinking about surnames for a reason. Women and marriage. Oddly, he smiled at the thought of her in a wedding gown and him in a suit. It didn't scare him one bit.

He took her hand in his, still smiling softly. "Tell you what. You've been human longer than I have, so you know all the names. Help me pick."

Her eyes sparkled. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Let's think!" she exclaimed, nibbling on her lower lip. She set her head on his chest and he mindlessly played with her messy hair, placing kisses on the top of her head. "It has to go with John…"

"And Rose," he said quietly. "That too."

She felt a hot flush crawl up the back of her neck. "I know! Let's go by letters. I think I know just the acronym. Staring with T: Talbott, Tanner, Thorne—"

"Tyler…"

"That'd be complicated. People would think I'm dating a cousin or something."

"Dating," he repeated fondly. "I like that word. _Dating_."

She snickered as he kissed her ear, moving on to the next letter. "Now A—"

"I'm not a fan of the letter A. I think of the Autons, and although that's how I met you, those things sort of drive me mad. Life from plastic? I just envision everything plastic—you humans, or we humans, are obsessed with it—coming to life and trying to kill me. Your alarm clock, a murderous alien. Those pen caps, a murderous alien…"

"I get it. So, onto the letter R—"

"Not an R either."

"What alien does that remind you of?" she asked impatiently.

"None. It's just."

"What?"

"Oh…nothing…" he smirked. "RR."

She stared at him blankly, and then she understood. Her initials would be RR. That was rather redundant. She loved the fact that the Doctor, or John, was actually taking her seriously about this. "That goes to D, then. Davenport, Davies, Dorne, Durham—"

"That's it!" he shouted.

"Durham?"

"No. The one before that."

"Davenport?"

"No," he drawled slowly. "After that."

"Davies?"

"Yes!" he laughed, hugging her tightly. "That's the one! Only if you like it, I mean."

She clutched his hands with her own. "Like it? I love it. Don't even have to finish spelling _TARDIS_. Just feels right, yeah? John Davies."

"And Rose Davies. Partners in crime. Saving the universe from extraterrestrials! Not that we'll be doing that anymore since I've got the face of a well-known alien. Oh no…I have to get…a real job?" he mumbled in dismay. "And pay bills. And find a flat. And clean carpets. No more time travel. No more space. I have to learn what taxes are. I don't want to learn about taxes. I don't want to report for work every day. I don't even have my psychic paper to get the job in the first place. How do you get jobs?"

The whole thing amused Rose. The Doctor never thought twice about dropping humans back on Earth, and now here was having to deal with the consequences. "Well, John Davies, you fill out applications. Then, you go on an interview. Then, if you're lucky, they hire you. As for space, we'll get you a telescope. We'll pay bills together, and we'll get a flat together. Then, we'll invest in an automatic vacuum made of plastic that could kill you in your eight hours of sleep. So, how about that?"

He broke out into a large grin and kissed her briefly. "I say, Rose Tyler-Davies…that sounds brilliant. Scary. Terrifying. Worse than terrifying. But brilliant. If it's with you."

"You're stuck with me forever."

"And that's how it's supposed to be."

Downstairs, a small child began to cry. Rose smiled. They got in late the night before and didn't have a chance to see him. "That's my baby brother. Little Tony Tyler. Do you want to go meet him?"

"I'd love to."

She crawled out of bed and threw on a robe, laughing when John did the same. Pete was shorter than he was by a few inches, so the pajamas didn't exactly fit him well. They looked as though they had shrunk in the laundry. She went over and gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Stay here. You need a robe. Those are a bit too small. We need to get you some clothes from the shops."

He glowered. "Go shopping for clothes? Me?"

"Don't worry. I'll be helping you and Dad will be paying. I don't think he wants to keep sharing his clothes. You're gonna stretch them out."

When she came back with the robe, she couldn't suppress her laughter at how short it was. John took offense, so she apologized. "Sorry. The robe is funny. Let's go before Tony gets cranky. He's best in the mornings."

"Question. I'm not very good with kids, if you remember when I talked to you as a baby, so what do I say?"

"Talk in a soft voice. Tell him who you are. Maybe give him a hug. But don't drop him or squeeze too tight."

He nodded, humming thoughtfully. "So just say, _Hello Tony! I'm Johnny! _No. I don't like Johnny. I will never call myself that again. What if I did say that? He would grow up calling me _Johnny_. I don't like how that feels at all. _Johnny_. You try it. _John-ny. Johnny._"

Rose laughed all the way down the stairs, and she was so happy that he had already decided to be a part of her family. "I love you so much."

He beamed. It was getting easier to say it. Maybe it was the human in him or Donna's loud voice in the back of his mind shouting _Oi! Tell her! _Either way, he was very happy to announce it. "I love you too, Rose."

The new human bounded after his human girlfriend for breakfast and bonding time with her little brother. Soon, he'd be tossed into the life of an average man doing average things. But, he was far from average. Could he really cope with his new life after everything he'd seen and everything he was?


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter three: Human things**_

"It feels wrong, Rose!" John whispered harshly, tugging at his clothes. "Just wrong."

She rolled her eyes. "You can't wear a suit all the time."

"Why not?" he complained. "I like suits. I look good in suits. I feel like…well…leather jacket man all over again in these."

He paused in the middle of the sidewalk, gesturing emphatically to his outfit. T-shirt, jeans, and a corduroy jacket. She straightened the front of the jacket with her hands, smirking. "I like it. It's casual chic. And you look great. Got you the hair products," she added, running her fingers through his sticky-upy hair. "A proper shaving kit…" she trailed off, brushing his cheek with her hand. She picked his coat pocket and slid a pair of thick rimmed glasses onto his nose. "Last but not least, the clever glasses."

"You know, I never really needed glasses. I wore them to look pensive and important. Kind of ironic that once I turn human, I need the real thing…" he chuckled to himself. "You really think this is all right? The ensemble?"

"Yes," she laughed, playfully bumping into his side. She wasn't used to calling him a real name just yet, but she was getting there. "You look fantastic, John."

He gave her a shy and goofy grin, suddenly frowning. "Blimey! Humans have horrible self-esteem! Putting ourselves down. Needing reassurance. This is new. Fascinating, but very new. What if I become completely insecure?"

"Something tells me your ego won't go anywhere any time soon. C'mon, we'll be late."

She wiggled her fingers and he took her hand, allowing her to guide him down a busy sidewalk. It was a day to do human things, she had decided. It started with breakfast in the city and they were off to catch a film. They got snacks and took their seats, sharing a large popcorn. John liked the butter, but he didn't like the chunks in his teeth. He started picking at them during the movie, thus Rose had to gently tell him that the lady next to him was staring. "Sorry," he told the woman quietly. "I'm not from around here."

Rose chuckled and held onto his arm, enjoying their first normal date. She half expected cyborg zombies to come through the screen, but they didn't. After the movies, they went looking at flats. Without fail, they'd both say when entering, "It's bigger on the inside!" Nothing fit their tastes. It was either too big, too small, too much carpet, too much money, too much work to paint over the ugly wallpapers, or too far from London and the Tyler clan. The last stop of the day was the market to pick up some groceries for the Tyler estate. Plus, John needed to learn about everyday things.

He looked around the huge market with wonderment in his eyes, and it was not unlike the expression Rose would get when he showed her the stars. Sure, in his nine hundred years he had seen a market and been inside a few. But, this one was different. It was the biggest one he'd seen, all sparkly and chilly. "This is unbelievable! All this space for food? Imagine how many different kinds of produce are here. I'll bet from all over the world."

She got a cart and put it in front of him. "You push. I have the list."

He followed her throughout the store, babbling on about the origins of every item they passed. She'd snicker and point to the top shelves, making him retrieve the items they needed. "So everything is set up in sections," she told him as they went into the fridge segment. "Usually, the cold stuff is on the outside and everything else is on the inside. We need to get some custard, so…" she stopped when she noticed how quiet it was. He was never so quiet. "John?" she asked, looking about. He wasn't there. Then, she spotted his jacket the next aisle over. When she went to investigate, she shook her head at what she saw.

John was pushing the cart with his foot and riding on it up and down the aisle. He was laughing excitedly and kept shouting. "Allons-y! Faster! Faster!"

"John!" she called, marching over to him. He skidded to an unexpected stop near her. "What do you think you're doing?"

His hands went into his pockets. "A boy in aisle six was doing it. I thought it looked like fun, and boy was I right!"

"How old was he? Probably about eight or nine years old?" she questioned. "You're over nine hundred in Time Lord years, and in human years you're probably in your mid-thirties. A grown man. Grown men have to behave in public."

He became very interested in his shoes, mumbling about silly human rules. That's when he got the idea. He rushed over to the cart and put all of their items in the front, clearing the basket. Then, he grabbed Rose and put her inside of the cart. She was protesting, but at the same time she was laughing. "Hold on, perfect Rose! You're going for a ride!"

"No!" she half laughed and half cried. "They'll throw us out!"

He didn't care. They went all over the store. Rose stayed in the cart and John rode on it from behind. They passed an elderly lady at top speed. John looked back with a grin. "Hi! Don't mind us!"

Rose stuck her head out and waved to the woman. "Sorry!"

For almost twenty minutes, they rode in big circles. Finally, John had to stop because of the large man standing at the end of an aisle. He wore a vest and a name tag. "Well, hello…" John started, reading the name tag. "Manager. What an intriguing name! Manager. I guess it's because you're a man and you'll age. Man_age_r. Ha! That was a horrible, horrible joke. I will never try to be funny ever again."

The manager glared at them both. "What in bloody hell is this? You think you can just come in here, wreak havoc in my store, and ever return? Hm?"

"Right. Sorry. Um. Tell you what. If you'd move about a foot to your left, we'll get out of your hair…okay?" John smiled. When he didn't move, John sighed. "Of course. Always the hard way. Hang on, Rose!"

He went backwards as fast as he could and shot down the aisle with Rose giggling in the cart. After avoiding the manager and some very cross staff, they went riding up to the front door. John took Rose's hand and helped her out. They ran from the store, being chased, and hid in an alley until the manager and his crew disappeared. They were both panting heavily.

"Still getting chased, and not even by aliens!" Rose grinned. "You're totally mental."

"I know," John smirked. "That was a good learning experience. The first in what I assume will be a long list of _what not to do as a human_. Well, second if you count the popcorn."

Rose couldn't resist pushing him into the brick wall and kissing him fiercely. He happily kissed back, holding her at the hips. When she pulled back, she grinned, "We didn't get the groceries."

"Want to try again? Different store. I promise I won't do anything rash this time. We'll just go in, get the bits and bobs, and get out."

She scoffed. "Where'd be the fun in that?"

"Oi! You're a bad influence! I'm trying to learn how to live and you're dangling temptations in front of me, just waiting for me to pounce!" he paused and gave her a little smile. "And I love it."

They laughed and took hands, darting through the streets to another market. This time, they got what they needed, but they did get in trouble when John decided to rearrange a display of processed snacks. He made it into a scale model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which he informed Rose was really his fault and not the inadequate foundation. It wasn't much of problem until a curious little girl poked it and the hundred or more boxes went all over the floor.

When they got home that evening, they sat in front of the tele to unwind. Rose was in his lap, using his chest to balance her side and his arm to support her back. "I'd say today was a success, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," he answered in agreement. "Human things aren't so terrible."

"Well, wait until you get a job and we get a flat. Then we'll see how you do, John Davies."

He shuddered and clung to her. "Don't make me."

"Have to."

She giggled as he groaned, "_Nooo_."

"Oh, or when we get to babysit Tony! Clean the flat, worry about bills, deal with neighbors, deal with bosses…"

"That's it. I'm never leaving this couch. We are staying like this forever. No exceptions."

He kissed her forehead and she grinned. If only it were that simple.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter four: Day in bed**_

John had discovered the joys of coffee. He hadn't slept, except for a few hours, in several days. In an attempt to force him to rest, Rose declared that it would be a day spent in bed. He refused to stay unless she was with him. So, there they were in the middle of the day inside of her bedroom at the estate with the door locked.

"Here's one. They're looking for a mathematician at an office. Probabilities, things like that. You'd be good at that," she commented as she read the classifieds in the morning paper. She got it from the table when she snuck away to get them breakfast. John had finally collapsed from exhaustion, yet he woke up when she came back in with an unpleasant glare. He perked up when she gave him coffee and the funny pages, forgetting that she had deserted him. "But you need to have attended university. We are getting the rest of your documents faked, so we could ask for a degree as well."

He hummed, but didn't reply. She sat the paper down in her lap and glanced over at him. He was on his stomach and wearing his new glasses. Noticeably, his hands were busy working on some sort of project. He was completely naked, only covered by a tangle of sheets, and she was just as immodest in merely a robe. She moved up behind him, tracing his spine with her lips, and set her chin on his shoulder. He moved his hands away.

"What are you doing?" she smiled. "Let me see."

"Not yet!" he answered quickly. "It's unfinished. Just a few more minutes and you'll see what it is. Off you go. _No peeking_, perfect Rose. I know you. Curious as a kitten."

She kissed his shoulder and moved back to her place against the headboard, combing through the various ads. "We should get a cat."

"Listen to me putting ideas in your head. No! We've been over this. I don't like cats. Remember the nuns with whiskers? We should get a horse and name it Arthur."

"We can't get a horse in the middle of London," she cackled. "Doubt it'd fit in the lift to get to a flat. Which we need to settle on. I don't think Dad's too happy about us living off him and his fortune. Are you done with that thing yet?"

He glanced above his glasses, which were precariously balanced on the tip of his nose, and he gave her a wink. "Be patient."

She groaned. "How much longer will—"

"Done!" he announced, waving her over. She joined him on her stomach, swinging her feet in the air in anticipation. "Before I show it to you, I just want to say that I did it from memory, so don't get angry if it's not quite right."

He passed her the scrap of paper he had worked on. It was her face in black ink and incredibly accurate. She was in awe. He never mentioned that he could draw. "It's incredible."

"Really?" he laughed. "Well, brilliant."

"You never told me you could draw."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I can. Have I told you about the journal?" She shook her head no. "When I traveled with Martha, we had to hide from these aliens. They could smell Time Lords and travel through time, so I had to turn human. For over two months, I was a regular man in 1913. No idea who I was. Well, that's not entirely true. I had dreams of my real life as the Doctor, so I'd wake up and put it in my journal. Writings. Drawings. You were always there. A perfect Rose. I'd try to draw roses, but I couldn't find them. I'd ask you where to find one in my dreams and you'd walk away. I knew that I knew you well. You were the only thing I could name. Not the TARDIS. Not my sonic screwdriver. It was your face all the time. The girl in my dreams. Even then."

Her eyes were filled with tears. "I dreamt of you."

"Yeah? That's a relief. Here I thought it was just me pining away all the time without you."

She kissed him lightly and held onto his arm. "Tell me about it."

"About what?"

"Your life after we said goodbye."

He started from the beginning, telling her about his adventures with Donna and Martha. Somehow, it was easier to talk about emotions. Maybe it was the fact that he knew that they could be together and he didn't need to hide. Maybe it was that he had changed, softening as the Doctor or as a human. Or, maybe it was just because he was so relieved to have a second chance with his lovely Rose.

She listened in wonder, moved by his willingness to open up. Her tears resumed when he told her about how much he missed her while at Donna's reception, and they kept falling as he told her that her name kept him fighting. She didn't stop until he finished by telling her how it felt to hold her again in the TARDIS. He was crying too, muttering about how lonely it felt until he got her back.

"Look at me," he sniffed. "Such a mess. Men don't cry, right? That's a major Earth thing. Add that to the list."

"No," she chuckled. "It's all right for men to cry. Maybe not in public and like a little girl, but in this case it's socially acceptable. The ladies love it when a man lets them into their world."

He grinned and got an idea. "Oh!" he exclaimed, practically shoving her off him to get to the pen and sheet of paper at the end of the bed. He quickly came back and started to write in a strange language of circles. "This isn't finished yet."

She waited and he pointed to the collection of circles. It took a moment, but she remembered seeing them before. "I saw similar symbols before on the screen in the TARDIS."

"You did. It's Gallifreyan."

"Your language? What does it say?"

He exhaled deeply. "It says: bingle bangle bongle baduble leppy toppy too tah."

"It does not," she snorted. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Well…if you insist…" he sighed. "My perfect Rose."

Rose blushed and pulled him into a kiss. He kissed back harder and held onto the back of her neck. The drawing slid to the floor as they rolled over, resuming the activities that caused them to be naked in the first place. After that, he drifted into slumber while she stayed awake staring at his face. She smiled and spotted the paper on the floor, which made her think. Carefully, she got out of bed and picked it up along with a pen and more paper. She got back in beside him and traced the strange circles over and over until she decided to try it freehand.

"John," she whispered later in the day. "John. John Davies. _Johnny_."

He grunted. "I hate that. _Johnny_."

"Woke you, didn't it?" she smirked, biting her lip. She kissed his neck. "I'm gonna go get some dinner for us. And I was wondering about something."

"Wondering about what?" he yawned, opening an eye.

"Could you teach me some Gallifreyan?"

He smiled. "Yes, I can. But I need food first."

She tossed on an outfit and gathered a few things from the kitchen. They ate in bed, he refused to get dressed, and then they spent the night writing in his language. She learned how to write some basic phrases, her name, and his new name. He wouldn't tell her his real name, simply explaining that who he was back then was long since gone. She kept writing the symbols on sheets of paper with the English translation while he took her other forearm to draw on. He drew a scene with flying cars and a city in the background, New Earth. All was perfect until there was a loud knock at the door.

"I forgot to lock it," Rose muttered. "Don't come in!" she shouted, turning back to John. "Can you at least put some trousers on?"

He complained but did get out of the bed. He grabbed his boxers and disappeared into the closet to find some clothes.

"Rose? It's your dad," Pete called through the door. They had bonded in the last few years, and he had happily taken the role as her father. "I'm coming in."

He poked his head in as if to be sure it was safe. Rose waved at him. "How can I help you?"

"You've been in here all day. You didn't come to any of the meals. I was getting worried."

"Sorry. Everything's fine," she assured him with a big smile.

Pete looked around. "Where's he then? John or whatever?"

John emerged from the closet holding a pair of trousers. He was still in nothing but his boxers and a big smile. "Hello, Pete!"

Rose was blood red and holding a hand to her face. Pete was in shock and slightly angry. "John," Rose started irritably. "Please put something on."

"I needed to ask you something. Are these the trousers that go with the green jumper or the blue jumper?" he inquired.

"Both," she gritted through her teeth.

"Right. Oh, one more thing."

"What?" she practically shouted.

"Hey, no need for that. Never mind then."

He went back into the closet. Pete turned slowly to Rose. "You know that you can be here as long as you need to be, but I really wanted to know how things are going with the flat."

"You don't like him?" she asked carefully.

"It's weird. The whole situation is weird. And I really don't want to walk in on anything else that's…weird."

John reappeared in the trousers and one of Rose's shirts. It was stretched beyond belief and left the bottom half of his chest uncovered. Pete's mouth hung open and he simply walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"I can explain," he quickly said upon seeing Rose's glare. "I couldn't find my jumpers. You said to put something on, so I did what I could."

"Lucky I don't like that shirt much," she deadpanned. "It's probably ruined. You don't have to wear that now."

He struggled but eventually got it off. "So, what did Pete need?"

"Basically told us to find a flat fast," she explained. "Nicely, of course. And…by the way…you know that list? About what not to do as a human?"

"Yes…" he nodded slowly.

"Add being undressed in front of your girlfriend's dad to the list. Oh, and wearing your girlfriend's clothes."

He studied her expression. "Was it that bad?"

"Let's just say that if we don't move out soon, Dad will probably chuck you out the window."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter five: Left alone**_

"I like this picnic," John said thickly through Chinese takeout.

Rose laughed. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Sorry," he swallowed, grinning. "How about it! Our own flat."

They looked around the tiny place, surrounded by a fort of moving boxes. Finally, they found a place with no carpets, average walls, and in the right price range. Rose had gotten a job in a shop nearby, and once John found a job of his own they'd be set. Until then, Pete was happy to help and give them their privacy.

"How are you doing? Not freaking out?" she asked gently.

He waffled. "Well, yeah. A bit. A tiny, tiny bit. It's all right, though. I've got you."

"Yeah…about that…they need me tonight at the shop. Will you be okay here?"

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I'll get the place in order."

"Great. You have my number. Just call me if you need anything. I'll be back by midnight."

This would be the first time she left him alone for a long period of time. She was worried that he'd panic over something human or go looking for trouble. After cleaning up the trash, she put on her coat and gave him a lingering kiss. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything," he smiled.

"Just for now, until you're used to this lifestyle, stay inside the building."

"Fine. I'll stay here."

She grinned and kissed him again. "I'll be back before you know it. Love you."

"Have fun. Be careful. And, what's the other thing I'm supposed to say? Oh, right. I love you too."

He watched her leave, chuckling and rolling her eyes at him. He turned to the flat. "Just you and me. Time to unpack!"

One box at a time, he unpacked the entire flat. They had a few chairs and tables that were already assembled and pushed in the corner. He hooked up the television, which would have been faster with a sonic screwdriver, and positioned the chairs and table at a reasonable angle and distance to provide the best view. All in all, he was happy with his progress until he came to the big, white box.

It was full of parts, but there were no instructions or labels. He examined them for an hour, easily creating various deviations. Finally, it hit him. It was a futon without the cushion. He put it together with ease. He decided to stand on the frame to see if it was stable. At first, it seemed to be working. He grinned. "I'm brilliant!" it faded when he heard a cracking noise. "Or not." It broke and he looked for the problem. "Screws," he stated to no one in particular. "This mini screwdriver won't do it. It doesn't have the necessary force to secure the joints. But, we don't have a screwdriver. Especially not a sonic one. What do humans do when they don't have the tools?"

Neighbors.

He knocked on every door on their floor. "Hi!" he'd practically shout. "Got a screwdriver?"

Some doors were slammed in his face, others didn't open, and he bothered quite a few people. Three floors down, someone slammed the door on his finger. "Ouch! Oi! Thanks for nothing, mate!" he hissed, grinning at the sudden lapse of Donna Noble. He sucked on his index finger, knocking on the next and the next. Nobody felt comfortable when they opened a door to reveal a man sucking on his finger. Luckily, on the first floor he found the maintenance man and borrowed the screwdriver from him.

He fixed the first legs and moved to the others. Without hesitation, he jumped onto the mended futon frame and leapt for joy. He was so clever, he thought happily. Being human wasn't so bad after all. Then again, he was leaping on a wooden frame that had spaces between the support boards. He miscalculated a jump and one of his feet fell through, sending him flying backwards and onto the floor. He hit his head on the nearby chair, moaning in blinding pain.

"Not a bright idea," he mumbled. His finger was still red and swollen and now he had a knot on the back of his head.

Gradually, he stood back up and searched the room for the cushion to go on his masterpiece. There wasn't one. It must have fallen off the lorry in the move. So, he used a few extra pillows for the base and draped a blanket over the back. He triumphantly flung himself down onto it, but he accidentally fell through the spaces in the back of the frame, tearing down the blanket and scraping his forehead on the wood. Cursing, he pulled himself out and searched for more pillows. There weren't any, so he decided to be smart. He had cardboard and scissors, so one of the empty boxes became the back. He held it down with packing tape, figuring that was the best he could do for now.

Rose wouldn't be home for another few hours. Nothing was on the television worth watching, and he became very, very bored. He knew that he shouldn't do anything mischievous, but it was too tempting. All that cardboard? He had to do something with it. Thus, the idea to create a flying model of a spaceship was born. He created his own paste with kitchen ingredients, painstakingly constructing the hull to be strong and aerodynamic. The fact that he burnt his hand, got several paper cuts, and wrecked the scissors was beside the point. He made a flying model that was accurate to the millimeter.

"Where to test you," he told it thoughtfully. "Not enough room or current in here. Maybe…no, I can't leave the building. But…the roof!"

He ran out of the room with his toy and climbed the stairs. It was perfect weather to fly it in, and he was going to do it. With a might shove, he declared, "Off you go! Fly, spaceship, fly!" The ship soared beautifully. It worked exactly as it was designed. He hopped up and down in celebration, but he stilled as he watched the heavy cardboard plummet…

…right into the bonnet of a passing car below.

It slammed on its brakes, causing the car behind it to slam into its rear. The car behind that one had to swerve into a collection of bins, knocking them over onto passing Londoners. John ran a hand through his hair, wincing at the contact. Retreating quickly, mourning the loss of his cardboard toy, he went back into his flat and sat on the pillows of the futon. The cardboard back sagged, but it didn't cave in. He sighed heavily.

"The other me was right. I do need looking after."

Rose wouldn't return for another thirty minutes. John paced, stared into the virtually empty fridge, looked out the window at passing people, and finally decided to spend his time staring blankly at cartoons on the tele. When the door opened and Rose entered, he leapt off the futon and hugged her tightly.

"Everything all right?" she asked into his shoulder. He pulled back and her hand went to her mouth. "What's with the cut on your forehead?"

"Well…" he mumbled, hoping she wouldn't notice his hands.

She did.

"And your hands! What's that? Cuts, a burn, swelling…any other injuries?"

He cleared his throat. "I did hit my head. The back of it."

"What? Got attacked by the plastic cups? Maybe wrested with the coffee table?"

"I needed a screwdriver to build the futon, but we don't have a screwdriver. I traveled the entire building in the hopes of borrowing one from our neighbors. One of our neighbors is an angry, angry man and said that I 'disturbed' his dinner. He then slammed the door while my fingers were still in the way. After I borrowed a screwdriver from the nice man on the first floor and built the futon, I decided to test the stability of the frame by jumping on it. My foot when through a space in the boards and I fell, which is when I slipped and hit my head. I continued on to find pillows for the futon, as the cushion has gone missing, but when I sat down I fell through the spaces on the back of the frame. And, that's when I scraped my head on the wood. There was nothing to do, so I decided to build a flying model of a spaceship from cardboard and homemade paste to pass the time. I burnt my hand on the paste and got cuts from the cardboard. Which reminds me, I may have accidentally ruined the scissors."

She held her forehead. "You didn't let this model fly out the window, did you? The lady from the second floor said there was a big accident earlier because someone's toy fell from the sky onto a car."

"Of course I didn't!" he scoffed. "I had to go on the roof to test it…"

Without a word, Rose walked away. He swallowed hard, assuming she was upset with him. When she returned, she had a first aid kit and sat him down on a chair. Gently, she treated his burn and bandaged his wounds. He watched her and whispered sadly, "You're not mad, are you?"

"No. Not mad."

"You're being quiet. Never a good sign."

"I'm worried, John. And slightly amused," she laughed at the last part. "You're a genius. And I mean that. Look at this place. Unpacked, everything hooked up. Although, you put the food in the linen closet and I'm assuming the linen in the pantry. Anyway, it's just interesting to see you—someone who can always adapt in any year on any planet—struggling to become human. You'll get it, though. I mean, technically you're just weeks old. And I'll help you get there. Even if you are just a big kid."

He grinned. "That's me. Always looking for entertainment. How was work?"

"Not great. I couldn't focus."

"Why not?"

"I knew you'd be here when I got home," she kissed his cheek and dragged him by the hand. "Let's fix the pantry-linen problem. And do the dishes from your homemade paste."

"Right. Totally forgot about those."

She shook her head. "Course you did. And, next time you feel like leaping around the flat, make sure you have your footing, okay? No more _I can survive a fall because I'm an alien_. You're fearless. That's a problem."

"No, I have fear. I'm terrified what you'll do to me if I get hurt again."

"Oh good. You're not as thick as you look."

"Oi!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter six: Family**_

After being fired from three different jobs, John finally found one worth having. The first job was a data analyst, and it would have been perfect if he hadn't told his boss "_You are an idiotic humanoid with no true understanding of analysis and the universe_." The other jobs he tried were very similar, including the reason for being let go. He eventually caught onto the fact that bosses didn't like overly clever individuals insulting their intellect. So, he played the game and held down a job of technical support. He could fix any computer and build one from nothing but a fuse box and a few tin cans, which he often did in his spare time.

With the extra funds, they bought a telescope and painting supplies to redo their little flat. That's where they were that Saturday morning: painting.

"Earth angel, Earth angel!" John sang with the radio, loudly and off-key. "Will you be mine?"

Rose giggled from the corner of their bedroom, pausing the movements of her roller. "John."

He was dancing around the front of the bedroom, using his roller as a microphone. "My darling dear, love you all the time. I'm just a fool. A fool in love with you."

"_John_."

"Not now, Rose! This song is genius! I love the Penguins. I just picture a group of penguins dancing about the snow—"

"The wall has drips."

He turned and saw the paint drips running towards the floor. Swiftly, he fixed the situation and laughed. "Right. Anyway, where was I?" he cleared his throat. "The one I adore! Love you forever and ever more! C'mon, Rose, jump in!"

"I'm just a fool," she reluctantly sang through a smile.

"A fool in love with you! Ro-oh-oh-oh-ho-se Tyler."

She stuck her tongue out at him and moved to the other corner, closer to the wall he was working on. The plan was to base the bedroom walls in TARDIS blue, and then John would hand paint a mural of galaxies and stars. He decided to stop painting for a moment and pull Rose into a dance. The song happened to be by a group called Rosie and the Originals, and it was named "A thousand stars."

"John," she giggled as they swayed. "You're turning my hands and shirt blue."

"Just paint. It'll wash out," he grinned mischievously and removed his hand from her back, placing a blue fingerprint on her nose. "See? That'll come off."

She touched the wet wall and smeared a line down his jaw. "Sorry. That was _such_ an accident."

"That's it! You have declared battle!" he exclaimed, running to his paint roller. He rolled it and proceeded to chase her around the room. "Get back here, sweetheart! I'm going to change the pigment of your skin!"

Rose shrieked and armed herself with brushes. They were backed into a corner. He rolled her legs and she painted his face and arms. Their t-shirts were ruined, but they didn't mind. "Back off," she warned him, wielding the mostly empty paint can. "I will not hesitate to drench you."

"You wouldn't," he laughed cockily. "It'd get on the floor."

"Look at your feet," she smirked. He did. She had laid out old blankets. Bugger.

She tossed the paint onto him and he stood still, saturated in the dark blue paint. He could hear her laughing, but he couldn't open his eyes or he'd be blinded by blue. She went to him with a rag and gingerly wiped his eyes and mouth, kissing him softly.

"I need a shower," he sighed. "So do you. Allons-y!" he scooped her up and they disappeared into the shower together.

Once they got out, a _long_ time later, Rose checked her phone and saw that she had ten missed calls. "John, check your mobile."

He had gotten a mobile from work, though he hardly used it, and he too had several messages. She listened to her voicemails, groaning as she did so. "It's Mum. She needs our help."

"What kind of help?" he muttered.

"Dad's got some dinner tonight and she's going as his date. Tony needs to be watched."

"Don't they have people for that?" he grunted, irritated that his plans to paint and bask in the glow of Rose Tyler were being ruined.

"The staff has the night off. They wanted some alone time, but Dad got the call about the party. It's work related, so he can't miss it. We're the only option."

John pouted. "Do we _have_ to? Really, really, REALLYhave to?"

"Human lesson for the day: when family asks for your help, even if you don't want to do it, you _really _do have to. I could go alone. You could stay here. Finish painting."

"I haven't seen you much with work," he frowned. Their shifts weren't allowing much alone time anymore. "So, I suppose I'll come along. Visit the in-laws."

She beamed. "Great. I'll give them a call."

"And I'll clean up the mess in here from where _someone _threw a bucket on me."

Awhile later, Jackie answered the door at the estate, smiling excitedly upon seeing her daughter and her boyfriend. She hugged Rose, going on and on about all of things to remember while taking care of Tony. John followed them inside, nodding to Pete as he came down the steps. "Pete."

"John," he responded formally. "How's work?"

"Oh, you know how it is. I can put a hard drive together with nothing but some dental floss and a pair of clippers. Blindfolded. With one hand. But it's not too boring, I think. I'm getting very good at tossing balls of paper into the bin. From right across the room. Swoosh! I think I've got a world record. Two hundred without missing a single toss. Not bad, eh?" he grinned. Pete stared. "Anyway, how's things?"

"Fine," he replied. "You've, um, got something on your ear. It looks like…blue."

John quickly rubbed it off with his thumb, laughing uncomfortably. "Right. That. Funny story. Thought we got it all in the shower," he stopped in his tracks at the look on Pete's face. "That isn't what I was trying to say. I meant that I thought _he_ got it all in the shower. _He_ being me, of course. I do that. Talk in third person. It's loads of fun. You should try it."

"I don't want to know," Pete grimaced.

Rose and Jackie came back into the room. Little Tony was in Jackie's arms, quiet as a mouse. Rose hugged Pete tightly and then her mother, taking Tony into her arms. "Have a good time, you two."

"We will," Pete nodded. "Bye, Rose. Bye-bye, Tony."

"Bye, Dad. Mum," Rose answered brightly.

John gave a short wave. "Bye!"

Pete glared at him for a moment and Jackie gave him a kiss on the cheek. The second the door shut, Rose smirked at John. "What'd you say to Dad?"

"Well, I had some paint on my ear. He pointed it out. I may have slipped and said _we_ were in the shower instead of _I _was in the shower. Maybe."

Her face turned red. "You didn't."

"I'm so sorry."

She sighed and passed Tony to him. He held the tot carefully, bouncing him up and down. "I have to go start his dinner. Why don't you play with him for a bit?"

"I think I can handle that. If that's okay with Tony Tyler," he waited for Tony to answer. "You don't want to say?"

"He barely talks," Rose laughed. "He's really behind. Mum's worried about him."

"Maybe he hasn't found somebody clever enough to talk to yet. Have you, Tony?"

Tony grabbed John's nose and giggled. "No!"

Rose's eyes widened at the response. "Two of my favorite men in the universe. Look at that. Be careful with him, yeah?" she kissed John and Tony on the cheeks and went into the kitchen.

John took the toddler into the den and sat with him on the floor. There were blocks and other toys. Tony went for a stuffed cow and John began to play with the building blocks. "See, Tony, this is the structure of our DNA."

Tony knocked down the precariously balanced model, laughing loudly as it fell. "That's not nice," John pouted. "That's not nice at all."

"No!" Tony repeated, grinning excitedly. He threw his stuffed cow at John, still smiling.

"Hey!" John cried. "You are a rude, little person. See how you like it."

John lightly tossed the cow back. Tony laughed harder and the war began. It was John's second battle that day, and he was getting tired. Blocks, plush toys, plastic cars, and rubber balls were flung at him and flung back at Tony. Things escalated and the toddler's aim was becoming less accurate. A picture fell from the wall and a few things were knocked from a table. Tony shakily walked over to John and climbed on his back.

"Horse ride!" the toddler demanded. "Be a horse!"

Sighing, John decided to go along with it. "If you insist," he shrugged, crawling around with Tony on his back. He reached behind and picked the up child when his knees began to hurt, standing and holding him securely in his arms. "Do you know what an aeroplane is, Tony?"

"Yeah. In the sky."

He grinned. "You clever boy. Let's be an aeroplane!"

They swung around in circles, knocking more things off tables and the fireplace mantle. He stopped and they collapsed onto the couch, watching the world spin. Tony stayed in his lap, giggling. John ruffled his blond, Tyler hair and smirked. "What words do you know?"

"Lots," he responded.

"Ah, but you don't use them. Why is that? I'll bet it's because you don't have much to say. So, answer me this, who are you?"

He thought for a moment. "Tony Tyler."

"Brilliant! And who am I?"

"John."

"Right again! See, talking is great! I never stop talking. In fact, one could argue I talk too much. Personally, I believe it's better to talk too much than to not talk at all. Do you know why? Because you never know who might be listening. Somebody, like your sister, might be wonderful enough to always listen no matter how pointless or confusing the speech is. So you should start having more conversations. I know! Let's learn some new words! Repeat after me: fantastic. Fan-tas-tic. Fantastic."

Tony stared and carefully followed. "Fan…tas…tic. Fantasmic."

"Fantas_tic_."

"Fantasticks."

"Fantastic."

"Fantastic."

"Fantastic!"

"Fan—"

"You can stop there. You've got it. It means better than good. Now let's try another…"

After a few more minutes, Rose found her baby brother sitting on John's lap having a talk. The room around them was a disaster. Toys were everywhere, things had fallen over, and a few things were even broken. John smiled at her. "Listen to your brother! Go, Tony. Tell her what we've learned."

"My name is Tony," he said slowly. "I am fantastic! Allansies…" he stopped and John whispered in his ear. "Allons-y! I love Rose."

She grinned. "Great job, Tony! Let's have some dinner."

"He knew most of those. Just doesn't have much to say, unlike me…" John beamed, carrying the little one in for dinner. "And I swear I'll clean this up. We got into a throwing battle. Nothing serious. He won. Made me his horse."

"I win!" Tony added.

Rose chuckled. They sat down for some dinner, which quickly turned into an all-out food fight. Tony flung his pasta at John and John flung it back. They ganged up on Rose who talked Tony into ganging up on John. After a major bath and house clean up, Tony was put to bed and Rose found herself yet again in the shower with John. It was unfortunate because that's the exact time Pete and Jackie came home, having left the dinner early. They wouldn't have known except that Rose had to get their clothes from the hallway, smiling awkwardly at her parents and adjusting her borrowed robe.

"We'll just be a minute. Food fight. Long story. And sorry about the broke vase. Also a long story. It was John's fault."

"Oi!" John shouted from inside the bathroom. "Not fair!"

"Also, if Tony keeps saying _fantastic_ or _allons-y_…blame John for that too. G'night, Mum. Dad."

She snuck back into the bathroom and Pete held his forehead. Jackie whacked his arm. "Let the kids have some fun."

"In our loo?"

"Oh…" Jackie trailed off, knowing that she'd never think of her lavatory the same way ever again.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter seven: First fights**_

Rose was working in the shop on an average Tuesday afternoon. Their new recruit, a bloke by the name of Martin, was her responsibility to train. The second she met him, shivers ran through her spine. They were the same shivers as when she met unfriendly aliens on other planets. He was big, tall, and always leering. He obviously was attracted to her. It wasn't what she wanted to do, but they had to take inventory in the basement alone.

"So," Martin began confidently. "Fancy a drink after work?"

"No. How many of the new tops do we have?"

"Sixteen. Why not?"

She sighed and set the clipboard down. "I have a live-in boyfriend. We're serious. And it's never going to happen for you, all right?"

"C'mon. One drink."

"No."

"I'm telling you to get a drink with me. I'm not asking," his tone was increasing in seriousness. She was feeling uncomfortable, but she wasn't afraid. Not yet.

"I wouldn't get a drink with you if it was the end of the Earth and we were the last two humans left. And I've been there. So knock it off. The answer is no. Do you understand that?"

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, inches from her face. "Nobody rejects me."

"Somebody just did. Back the hell up."

His hands wandered to her bottom and she stomped on his foot, causing him to recoil. "I'll tell the boss about this."

"Who are they going to believe? No cameras down here. Practically soundproof. I'll deny everything. And if you get me fired, I'll find you. You don't want to know what I'll do that curvy body then, eh?"

That night, Rose ran home in tears. She bounded through the door and John glanced up from the couch, standing to meet her. She flung into his arms, still shaking. He rubbed her back in soothing motions. "What's wrong?"

"The new worker in the shop. He."

"He what?"

"He asked me out and when I said no, he sort of lost it."

John's brow furrowed. "How do you mean _lost it_?"

"Grabbed me. Felt me up a bit."

She saw the darkness in John's eyes, and it reminded her of the first Doctor she knew. He rubbed his jaw nervously. "Can you report it?"

"No cameras. No evidence. It'd be my word against his. He's threatened me if I get him fired."

"What's his name?"

Rose folded her arms, trying to sound calm. "I know what you're thinking. Don't make things worse. This happens. People do stupid things to each other. Horrible, wrong things. And we can't always make it right. You could as the Doctor, but this is different. You're John now. And you can't fix everything."

"You're upset."

"Yeah, that happens a lot down here on Earth."

He held onto her shoulders. "Should happen to you."

She smiled faintly. "Promise me you won't do anything. Martin isn't all there. He's…disturbed. I'm not training him anymore. I've had him switched over to this guy Kevin. If anything happens again, I'll report him to my boss and the police."

"Good," John nodded. "You're just too beautiful for your own good, Rose. Maybe you should wear a brown sack and a bag on your head. Or, you could just stay inside with me all the time. We'll quit work and become squatters."

She started laughing. "I love you."

He kissed her and pulled her into an embrace. His thoughts were in overdrive. No one messes with Rose Tyler and gets away with it. He was going to do something about no matter what she said.

The next day after his shift at work, John picked up some food to bring to Rose. She had to work a double, and he wanted to be sure she had a dinner break. Wandering into the shop and to the front desk, he grinned at the woman behind the counter. The woman was working on stocking the shelves beneath the register and didn't notice him. "Hello, ma'am. I'm here with a special delivery for a 'Rose Tyler.' Do you know her? She's blond, absolutely stunning, and far too smart for her own good?"

Rose stood up and put her hands on her hips. "John."

"I had no clue it was you," he smirked. "Well, maybe I thought that it could be. Well, maybe I knew that it was. Well, no. No, that was it. Here you go. Chips, sandwich, and a spot of tea. In that tall, plastic container we used on that roof picnic to keep it warm."

She beamed. "Thank you. How was work?"

"You know how it is."

"Dreadfully boring. Fixed everything with one hand and a blindfold. Beat the paper toss record."

"I actually used my toes this time," he corrected her. "Boss didn't like that much. Told me to put my socks back on. I thought that was rude since I was doing such an incredible job. Really, someone should have recorded it. New world record for most dexterous toes."

She chuckled and leaned across the counter to kiss him on the cheek. "You should go before I get in trouble for slacking off."

He groaned. "When will you be home?"

"After ten."

"I'll be waiting."

"You better."

He kissed her properly and started to go, pausing when he saw the man sweeping by the front door. His name tag said that he was Martin. John took a step towards him. "Wow, you're good with that broom, mate."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" Martin sneered.

"I was going for friendly, but I'll take funny. I um…haven't seen you around here much. Are you new?"

Rose had gone to the back to put her food in the employee lounge, so she was completely unaware of what was taking place.

"Yeah. In training," he sniffed. "What's it to you?"

"Let's see. Your name is Martin. And you're in training here."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Did Rose Tyler train you yesterday?"

Martin smiled and set the broom aside. "You must be the live-in."

"The very same. She wasn't happy with you. In fact, she was very, very upset. When she's very, very upset, _I _am very, very upset. And you do not want that."

"What you going to do about it?" Martin tested. They stood about the same height, though Martin was a bit bulkier.

"What any half-decent boyfriend would do. Report you."

"I already told your girl that if I get fired, I'll find her and I'll do things to her. And, if you got in the way, I'd take you out."

"Take me out? To dinner? Really, how lovely. You're a nice boy," John laughed, suddenly becoming serious. "Stay away from Rose."

"I'll do what pleases me. And she is very pleasing…"

John hit him square across the jaw, knocking him backwards into a rack of clothing. Rose ran into the room with a few other employees. She looked horrified. John turned to her and waved, taken by surprise when Martin tackled him. It became a boxing match that Rose had to break apart. John was bruised and bleeding from his nostril. Rose carefully examined him and stiffly stated, "Go home. We'll talk later."

He did as he was told, even though he didn't want to. Rose didn't come back until her shift was over, which he took as a good sign. At least, he hadn't gotten her fired. When she did come in, she didn't say anything for a long time. It wasn't until she had changed into her jimjams that she faced him. "What the hell were you doing?"

"I came to bring you dinner. It just so happened that I saw him, and I took the opportunity to tell him that I'd report his actions towards you. Then, he threatened you, all right? And me! I asked him…well, told him…to stay away from you. He implied that he was going to do things to you. So, I hit him. _He's_ the one that turned it into a fight. I was fine with the one punch."

Her eyes were watery. "Back when we explored the universe, you wouldn't hurt anybody for something like that."

"Something like that?" he scoffed. "He threatened you. _You_, Rose. You're the only thing that matters."

"But I specifically told you not to do anything! See, this is why you were left here by the Doctor. You're…rash. You act on an impulse. You get hurt. You aren't in control of your emotions. You weren't like this before. I was in danger all of the time, threatened by cybermen and daleks and everything else, and you didn't do a thing. You trusted me to handle it. You believed in me. You abandoned me to chase a French girl in a fireplace. You left me on my own to get my face taken by a television. You destroyed a gravity funnel while I was in it—"

"Because I didn't know then!"

"Didn't know what?"

"How bad it hurts to lose you. To see you stranded, crying, and so far away. If I lost you here, Rose, what would I do? I had the TARDIS then. I was able to go on adventures and act like everything was all right. But here? I'd be alone if…" he stopped, fighting back tears. "It isn't that I don't believe in you or trust your abilities. You are what I believe, what I trust. But, I'm terrified of what would happen if you were lost again."

She blinked back tears of her own. "Still, you can't go around starting fights. We have laws here."

"I know," he responded quietly. "I'm just used to fighting. Fighting to save the planet. Fighting to save the universe. And especially fighting for you. I didn't plan on hitting him. It just happened. I'm not used to this. Feeling so afraid or feeling as much as I do. I'd ignore it before. Control it. And I could. Time Lords can be so logical, calculated. Humans…we just feel everything. I only wanted to press charges and get him tossed out. That's all. I promise you that."

"You scared me," she admitted. "You've always had a darker side and I don't know how you'll react to different situations. Either you laugh and make a joke or you go bonkers and try to hurt someone. I'm terrified that I'll be the one losing you."

"I don't mean to scare you. I'm trying very hard to adjust to things. I really am."

"I know that."

He exhaled deeply. "I saw you upset and I wanted to help. Simple as that."

She smiled. "I appreciate it. I do. But don't be a hero. I didn't fall in love with you because you save the day and make it all better."

"You didn't?"

"No, you stupid, stupid man…" she laughed. "It's because of you. Sure, I loved saving the planet, but I loved spending time with you more than that. You make me laugh so much," she stopped, sighing softly. "Because of the commotion at the shop, three other girls came forward. He's being threatening everybody. Turns out he's on parole and this mess violated it. The police have him in custody. But, don't get arrogant and say you did the right thing. You just got lucky this time. And don't make it a next time."

He grinned. "Brilliant."

"Shut up," she snickered, pausing. "Do you know what we just did?"

"What?"

"We just had our first real fight as a human couple, and I'd say…I'd say we're okay."

"I am sorry about all that, Rose. Really sorry. My face is sorry too…" he rubbed his bruised jaw with a grimace.

She chuckled at that. "I can't blame you for being an overly protective boyfriend with no sense of human law whatsoever."

He thought for a moment, frowning. "Is that how an acceptance is supposed to sound, or was that more of an insult?"

She stuck her tongue out playfully. "You're the genius. You figure it out."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter eight: Parties**_

"Finally, a real suit!" John laughed excitedly, adjusting his tie in the mirror. "I have been waiting so long for this. Oh, yes. Not the polo shirt and tie I wear at work. Not even close! This is it! Right down to the coat and brainy specs."

Rose popped her head out of the loo, continuing to brush makeup over her cheeks. "I'm glad you're happy. I'd rather put on one of your t-shirts and crawl into bed."

"It's their anniversary, Rose! Remember that rule about humans doing things for their families? Besides, free food. Free drinks. And I get to wear a suit."

He could hear her groaning. "I'm _tired_. An all day weekend shift at the shop. Then, I come home and _you_ decided to wear me out even more. I totally forgot about this party thing. Mum loves to be the center of attention. Reminds me of someone else I know. And I meant it when I said no putting your tie around your head. And no bananas."

"Rose," he whined. "That's not much fun, now is it? Blimey, you're Cranky. Crank Crank Crankity Cranky. With a capital C. Bolded. Underlined. **Cranky**."

"Belt up, _Johnny_. You've got to deal with me all night."

He grinned. "Wouldn't want it any other way."

Upon arriving to the Tyler's wedding anniversary party, no one really knowing how long they had been married given the complicated nature of their relationship and multiple universes, Rose and John went to mingle with the other guests. Most of them knew Rose from before, but it was their first time meeting John. It went well at first. That is, until Rose was pulled away by Jackie to play a game with the other women. The men were left to talk about manly things, drink brandy, and smoke cigars. John coughed at the smoke, grimacing. He found a few other men who weren't smoking and decided to talk to them.

"Hello, I'm John Davies. And you are?" he extended his hand to the one in the tuxedo first.

"Wayne. Pleasure."

"Likewise. What about the rest of you?" he inquired. They rattled off their names, but he was more interested in Wayne. He looked familiar. "Have I met you before?"

"Well," Wayne grinned arrogantly. "You may have read my books. I'm a historian. I specialize in Egyptology, but I have written several papers on more modern civilizations."

"Oh, yes! I saw your photograph on a book the other day. It caught my attention because of the horrendously cheesy title. It was a pun. I don't mind puns, usually, but this one was just…anyway, I read the first few chapters of it in the shop while I was waiting on my tea."

"What did you think?" Wayne inquired carefully.

John wavered, moving his head from side to side. "Well…"

"Did you have a problem with it?" Wayne was becoming rather irate.

"Yeah, I did. Sorry. It was just…"

"Just what?"

"Ghastly. Unbelievably inaccurate. Khufu, pharaoh of Egypt and builder of the Great Pyramids, wasn't a ruthless man. He was a very pleasant fellow. Bit shy. Didn't like big statues to attest his good looks. Hence the one, small statue. Anyway, you were right about it not being slave labor to build the Great Pyramid, but it wasn't because of taxes and displacement and all that. He was one of those speakers that just captures your attention. His people loved him quite a lot, and they did it because they were, well, friends I suppose."

Wayne glared at him. "I've spent my entire forty-two years on this planet studying Egypt. What do you do for a living, Mr. Davies?"

"Oh, this and that. Computers mostly."

"And you think you know more than I do?"

"No," John thought aloud. "I'm sure that I do. I was there. Khufu is a great host. Really. We had so many laughs. He knows how to tell a joke, that one."

Wayne didn't know what to say. He assumed that John was just being funny. "And so do you. This is not funny and I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult my work."

"Insult? No, no, no. I wasn't trying to insult. I was just stating facts. You're wrong and I'm right. After all, I've _met_ Khufu in person. Spent holiday there. Wonderful year, 2574BC. The weather is lovely."

The other men led Wayne away from him quickly, muttering in angry voices. John frowned. So much for trying to tell Wayne about the truth in Egypt. It was only a few moments later when a very irked Pete marched up to him.

"What exactly did you say to Wayne?"

"Well," John began. "I just told him about the real Khufu. The one only I'd know."

"You told him you were there, didn't you?"

John thought about it. "Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. Just sort of…slipped off the tongue…Khufu was a friend and I hated to hear him talked about like that…"

"John, you can't do that on this planet. People don't get that stuff. If you tell them that you met… I dunno…an Egyptian pharaoh, they'll think you're a nutter. Wayne has just gotten his wife and his kid and left. He warned me about you. Said, _That tall man with the spiky hair is insane_. I failed to mention that the tall man with spiky hair could one day be my son-in-law. Do us a favor and go upstairs, yeah? Maybe say hello to Tony. He won't stop talking about you."

"Very well, Pete. Allons-y."

"And he won't stop saying that either. Thanks for that."

"You're welcome!" John beamed, climbing the stairs to find where the children were playing.

Meanwhile, Rose was in the middle of a silly game for women. They were divided into unmarried and married teams. "Now, everyone, add up the numbers! Once you get a total of answers you got right, the top three from each team has to pick a fortune from the bag. That'll say who'll be next to get married or have a child!" Jackie explained, giggling happily. Rose rolled her eyes and looked towards the other room. "He's fine," Jackie whispered to her. "I'm sure everything's all right."

They heard a loud noise from upstairs that sounded like something fell over. In fact, it was John who was tackled by a mob of school age children. Rose sensed that it was him, but Jackie kept the game going. She was one of the top three and quickly picked a fortune, hoping that would allow her to leave the awful games. It didn't. She picked the only one that was on purple paper, signifying that she was next to get married. The room exploded in cheers and she was surrounded, unable to check on her human Time Lord. It now sounded like things were falling all over the place upstairs, almost as if it was raining.

It was raining crayons. Tony started the charge and everyone followed, pelting John with the various shades. He held his hands up in surrender. "Don't! Stop! Knock it off! I'm not your target!"

Shakily, John got to his feet and retreated to the corner, pushing things off shelves and walls to get there. He held up a framed photograph and used it as a shield. They kept throwing things at him, laughing hysterically. How did he get himself into these situations? With a final push, John ran from the room and the children chased him. He was screaming, they were screaming, and the running from room to room continued. The guests looked up at the second floor.

"What is going on up there?" a guest asked Pete.

Pete rubbed his temples. "My guess? Tall man with spiky hair."

Rose made the decision to sneak out while Jackie was busy with the other guests. She darted towards the stairs, but Pete stopped her. "Rose, that boyfriend of yours really knows how to start trouble."

"Sorry, Dad. It's part of why I love him."

It suddenly became quiet. The shouting stopped and so did the running about. She cautiously went up the stairs towards Tony's room. Gently, she opened the door and found all eleven school children drawing on Tony's wall in crayon. At the center of the masterpiece was John, holding Tony on his shoulders. He was drawing on the wall with the kids.

"John?" Rose inquired. He turned to face her with a goofy grin and a laughing Tony. "Are you drawing on the walls?"

"Well, it was part of the truce. See, Tony launched an attack on me when I came to say hello. The other children followed and I was tackled. I managed to escape, but only in time to have crayons and toys flung at my head. I ran from the room and they followed me. I asked what they wanted in return for peace, and they said that they wanted to draw on the walls. So, to stop the madness, we're drawing! Looks like it's going to be a picture of a sunny, spring day. What do you say, kids?"

They spoke all at once. "They shouldn't be doing that," Rose said, silencing them all. "Drawing on the walls. That's gonna be hard to get out."

Pete and Jackie appeared behind her. "What do they think they're doing?" Jackie exclaimed.

"John," Pete growled. "I sent you up here to avoid making a mess."

"John is fantastic!" Tony smiled. "He's my favorite because he plays."

Their eyes grew wide. "That's the most that boy has ever said at one time," Jackie sniffed, near tears. "I didn't know he could talk like that."

"Oh yes," John nodded. "He just doesn't like to talk when there's nothing important to say. Or when nobody is clever enough for him. He's a brilliant one."

Jackie picked Tony up and walked out with Pete, once Pete gave into the fact that children were wrecking his house. Rose reached out for John. "C'mon, you. Let's sneak out of here."

The kids said goodbye and the couple walked out into the cool, night air. "What did you do tonight?" Rose asked as she hugged his arm.

"I accidentally mentioned meeting a pharaoh. Khufu. You would have loved him! He's gotten a bad reputation for some reason. It's a shame, honestly. And I said all of this to that writer. Wayne somebody. I might have insulted his work, scared him with my supposed insanity, and made him and his family run from the party. Pete sent me upstairs at that point. What about you? How was ladies night?"

She blushed and pulled the slip from her pocket. "I picked this fortune out of a bag. Says I'll be the next to get married."

"Does it now?" he smirked, wagging his eyebrows. "Was it a prophecy?"

"Nope. Just a regular, old fortune. No deep demon voices or gypsies dancing around a fire."

"You will be the next to get married!" John declared in a deep, demon-like voice. "Oooh, Rose Tyler! I foresee all!"

She laughed and whacked his arm. "Knock it off."

"Would you rather see me as a gypsy? I'll start a fire and put on those jingling scarves. Dance around. Maybe take a few belly dancing classes to be ready."

"That I'd pay to see."

"Bet you five quid I'd be a better belly dancer than you."

"Make it ten."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter nine: Pets and plans**_

Her sad eyes were hard to resist. He stood to his full height and set his jaw. "No."

"Why not?" she moaned. "Please?"

"I already told you no."

"It's just a cat."

"I don't like cats! Do I have to remind you again? Nuns!"

"It's what couples do, John. You get a flat and then you get a pet together. And next is…you know…marriage and kids and then grandkids and retirement…"

He laughed. "We are hardly _normal_, Rose. We don't have to get a pet."

"What if I want one?" she retorted, getting that stubborn look on her face. "Please, for me?"

His resolve was fading. "How about a fish?"

She snorted. "They're strangely depressing. Trapped in a tiny bowl. Gone after a week."

"Okay, so…I know! I'll build us our very own K-9. I have the parts at work. It'd be no problem, really. It might take some time without the TARDIS and my sonic screwdriver. Na, it's fine. I'll make it work…"

"I didn't ask for a robot. How about a real dog? Something small and fluffy."

"You're not changing your mind are you? This is that Tyler tenacity coming out. You'll just bring it home even if I say no."

Rose grinned, running her tongue across the side of her mouth. "You know me too well."

He groaned. "Just like your mother. Well, c'mon. Let's get this over with."

She squealed in delight and kissed his face, grabbing their coats. "I know just the pet shop!"

Later, Rose's hands were pressed to the glass and she was observing the dogs at the shop. He was pressed against her back, leaning his chin by her ear. "What about that one?" he asked. "The sleeping one."

"I was thinking that one," she responded, pointing to the barking puppy in the bottom cage.

"That one's too rambunctious."

"Did you think that when you picked me up, then?" she joked, giggling softly. "Fine. But I don't want the sleepy one either. He's too boring for us."

John studied the rest, spotting one in the top corner. "See that one? The black one with yellow and white spots."

"It's beautiful…" she murmured. "Reminds me of the night sky."

"Well, it is a skye terrier…" he commented, nodding to the description next to its cage. "It also says that it's a male and a great choice for a flat."

Rose caught the attention of the shop worker and they took the terrier out. The second it got into Rose's arms, she lit up and looked at John with a wide smile. The dog was a friendly one and wouldn't get too big, but it was also not the cheapest pet on the planet. Its big, fluffy ears and little, wagging tail won John over as well. He didn't want to tell Rose that he was in the process of saving money for a certain piece of jewelry, but he could wait. The look in her eyes when she cuddled the dog was worth every pound.

They went home with the fluff ball, and the dog instantly made himself comfortable on the futon—the one they finally got a proper cushion for. Rose kissed John several times in a row, leaning against his chest with a sigh. "Now what to call him."

"I have an idea."

She smirked. "Do you?"

"Yes. Wolf."

"Wolf?" she laughed. "That sounds so familiar."

"And that way, when he does something he shouldn't do, we can say _bad _Wolf."

"Aren't you clever!"

"The cleverest."

Rose sat beside their dog, scratching his ears. "Do you like Wolf? Do you like that name?" she smiled when Wolf wagged his tail. "Wolf it is."

For the majority of the time, Wolf was a good dog. He was quiet and loving, waking them with licks and playful jumps on their chests. The rest of the time, he was quite a menace. He'd steal Rose's shoes and clothes, shredding them to bits. He especially enjoyed taking John's glasses from the coffee table when he fell asleep on the futon. John would sometimes make it worse, such as the time he set Wolf into the shower while Rose was using it. All the while, John was saving money and researching human traditions. He was never good at this sort of thing.

"Mr. Tyler, someone is here to see you," the help told Pete as he sat at the table reading the paper.

"Send them in," Pete nodded. His face faltered slightly when he saw John. "Oh. Hello."

"Hello, Pete. Sorry to drop in like this. Oh, and um, Wolf decided to come along. He loves to travel. Well, the truth is that I told Rose we were going to the dog park. Can't go to the dog park without the dog. Well, you could but it wouldn't exactly be…anyway…"

Pete acknowledged the dog with a slight smirk. "How can I help you, John?"

"I've been doing a lot of reading lately. A lot of planning. Human customs are still a bit confusing. To a degree. I mean, I've always been very familiar with the culture on Earth. It's just hard to take my thoughts, Time Lord thoughts, and channel them into what a human would do. And then I have to execute it appropriately, which is hard since I seem to attract messes wherever I go. What I'm trying to say is that I have a question for you. Well, several, but one major question which is the reason we came over here. Isn't that right, Wolf?"

Wolf rolled onto his back and Pete stared at John blankly. "What do you need to ask me?"

"I'd like to marry Rose Tyler, and I'd like your blessing."

"I knew this day would come," Pete sighed. "You of all people know that, at first, I didn't want to accept Rose as my daughter. But, with Jacks came Rose. And, over time, I could see in her that she was my daughter. She really was. I could also see that more than anything she loved the Doctor. The Doctor saved my world and Rose's. I am grateful and I respect that man. So tell me, John, are you really him? I've had my doubts."

"I am him."

"And you love Rose? You'll protect her?"

"Yes. She's everything to me."

"After that day in Norway, she was…she was vacant. Heartbroken. She missed her Doctor and tore the worlds apart to get back to him. What did you do while she was searching? Were you searching too?"

"I tried to go on. Keep saving the universe without her. But, she is my universe. That's why the other Doctor left me here. To give us another chance, even if it kills him. And I'm not wasting that sacrifice. I love her. More than life itself."

Pete considered his words. "In that case, Doctor…or John Davies, you have my blessing."

John grinned and shook his hand. "Brilliant! Thank you! Just one more thing. I have the money for the ring, but I have no idea how I should ask her. Do you have any ideas?"

"Just be yourself. It's what she loves about you. Forget the human traditions and be the Doctor. It's not like she's going to say no," he laughed. He looked past him at the floor. "So good luck. And please get your dog out of here. He's piddled all over the rug."

John glanced down in horror. "Bad Wolf! Bad, bad, bad! I'm sorry, so sorry, Pete. We'll just be on our way."

They quickly exited the house and Pete couldn't believe he was saying it. "There goes my son-in-law."

Later that day, John went to several shops to find the ring. Wolf went with him on every step of the way. He finally found one that reminded him of Rose. It was modern, but classic, and it had some pink gems along the band. He purchased it and slid the box into his pocket, dancing about happily on the streets. "She'll love it! Don't you think, Wolf?" the dog barked and John laughed. "That's my boy!"

He returned home and Rose glanced up from a book. "That was the longest trip to the dog park in history."

"Well, not if you count—"

"Never exaggerate about time in front of a Time Lord," she chuckled to herself. "Where were you really?"

"Out and about," he shrugged. Wolf ran up to Rose and hopped in her lap. "He missed you."

"The dog or are you talking in third person again?"

"John meant both he and the dog."

She laughed and went back to reading. He went into the bedroom, pacing and planning. How should he do it? Should he take her to where they first met? No. Maybe where they first had chips? No. Maybe somewhere new and exciting, somewhere out of London? No. He should just be himself, Pete suggested. He thought back to his days on the TARDIS with her, recalling some interesting fantasies he had now and again. Nothing felt right. He gave up planning and joined Rose on the futon for some television.

"News," she yawned. "Always the same."

She curled into his side and Wolf draped across both of their laps. That's when he smiled and knew what did feel right. He kissed her forehead and held on tightly. His plan would be brilliant and Rose Tyler would have to say yes.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter ten: M57**_

"Work was dreadful," Rose grumbled as she came through the door of the flat. "Every customer just had to be a complete wanker."

She paused and listened. Silence. John wasn't on the futon watching tele, he wasn't at the window looking at the night sky, and if he was in the next few rooms he was being very quiet. Setting her things on the counter, she wandered into the bedroom expecting to find him asleep. Instead, she found Wolf curled up on her pillow. Something hung from his TARDIS blue collar, and she moved closer to take a look. It was a folded sheet of paper held on by a piece of string. She removed it and sat beside Wolf.

"To my perfect Rose, this would be so much more interesting if it was my psychic paper…" she laughed at that thought. "Come to the roof. x John."

Smiling, she folded the note and set it on the bedside table. She gave Wolf a hug and wandered back out of the flat to the rooftop. When she stepped onto the roof, she didn't see him at first. It took him speaking to let her know that he was behind her.

"Well, hello. I'm over here."

"You could have stayed in plain sight," she pointed out, smirking and walking to his spot.

His coat was spread out on the concrete and he was sitting up, peering through his telescope. She joined him and nuzzled into his side, putting a head on his shoulder. "Fascinating what a telescope can see," he commented. "More like what it can't. These things are virtually useless. Or, maybe I'm just used to being right next to things in space itself. Yeah, probably that. At least tonight is the clearest night in a month. How was your day?"

"Terrible. I've decided that I hate the human race."

"Even me?"

"I guess I can make one exception."

"Thanks for that," he smiled. "What'd they do this time? Ask for something you don't carry?"

"No. It was more general than that. Everyone had to be cross about everything."

He hummed. "Shame on them. I see you found my note."

She hugged his arm and smiled. "I did. And it would have been incredible on psychic paper."

"Every now and then I miss those little things. Psychic paper. Sonic devices. Time vortexes. But, I have something better!"

"Really? Better than all that?"

"Yes, I do! Something more brilliant. And it's right next to me," he winked at her and she blushed. "I want you to look through this telescope right here, right now. Off you go," he quickly pulled her into his lap so that she could look into it. "Do you see it?"

"Kind of like a smoky circle?"

"That's it! It's called M57 or Messier 57. A planetary nebula, meaning that it is comprised of an expanding shell of ionized gas expelled during the asymptotic giant branch phase of various kinds of stars later in their lifetimes. Really, it's not too far from here. Only about 2,300 light-years or so. It was discovered in the eighteenth century by Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix, a Frenchman. He said it resembled a planet that's fading. It's actually in the constellation Lyra near a star called Vega. But what's really hard to find is the star in the center. Can you see it?"

She looked again. "I don't."

"Me either. A star I can't find? What has the world come to? Inferior instruments."

"Right, blame the human technology."

As she took another look, he kissed her cheek and held onto her waist. "That nebula has another name."

"Yeah? What's that?" she responded halfheartedly.

"They call it the Ring Nebula."

"I can see why. It's definitely a ring. Have we…driven…past it?"

"Oh, loads of times. They should put a space station there with a drive through. We could have just rolled right up, ordered chips and a shake, and kept on our way!"

She chuckled. "That'd have been something."

They sat in silence and John started to get nervous. She leaned against him, occasionally glancing back through the telescope, and held onto the arm that was around her. "This is nice," she commented. "Just sitting up here. Relaxing."

"Yeah," he agreed, swallowing. His fingers gripped the box in his pocket. "Can you still see the nebula?"

"Yep, still can. What'd you say its name was? M…fifty-something?"

"M57, Messier 57, or there was one other name. The Ring Nebula."

"Right. Ring Nebula. It's beautiful. What I can see of it."

"I wanted to show you that nebula for a reason."

She grinned. "And what's that?"

He had the box out of his pocket and opened, holding it at his side. "Why don't you turn around and see for yourself?"

Rose wasn't sure what that meant, but she turned back and saw him holding a little box with a stunning ring. Her hand went to her mouth and all of the air escaped her lungs. She was speechless. His single heart was going mad in his chest. He could hardly say it. "Rose Tyler. I've only got one life. I'd like to spend it with you. If you'd like."

She nodded through tears. "Yes, I would."

He gave her a daft grin and slipped the ring onto her finger. She looked at it in the moonlight and tackled John onto his coat, kissing his neck and working her way up. Although it was a rooftop that was open to the entire building, Rose didn't care and neither did John. They were lucky that they weren't caught shagging by somebody somewhere, and they stayed tangled in his coat to look up at the stars.

"How'd you know my ring size?" she thought aloud, tracing circles on his bare chest.

"Oh, I've been planning this for months."

"You have?"

"Since before we got Wolf. I borrowed one of your rings the other day and took it to the shops with me. I read that tip online. I read a lot of tips online. You know, Time Lord brain. It doesn't always work out so well for a human. All these human traditions. I didn't want to mess it up."

She kissed his cheek. "You could have said, _Oi! You wanna get married or what? _I would have said yes anyway."

"I know that. It just isn't the same. You have to think about _how_ you do things and not just what you do. That much I've learned."

"I'm proud of you," she beamed, cuddling into his side. "I can't wait to tell Mum and Dad about us!"

"Well," he said hesitantly, hoping that he hadn't screwed up by letting Pete know ahead of time. "That's another thing I did. Asked Pete for his blessing. That's customary on this planet, isn't it?"

Her eyes watered again. "You asked Dad for permission? He did say yeah, didn't he?"

"Of course!"

"He probably didn't tell Mum since she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself."

John chuckled. "That Jackie. She's going to be my mother-in-law."

"She always has been," Rose teased. "I'm so happy you finally asked me and didn't wait until we were in some life or death situation."

"I'm a new man, Rose, and I'm all yours."

"Bloody right you are. You know that I'm a girl, right?"

"Right…is this going somewhere?"

"Shut up," she laughed. "That means that I'm already thinking about the wedding. What do you think? About the wedding?"

He let out a long breath. "I'm rubbish at weddings. Especially my own."

"Oi, you been married before?"

"Well, I'm over nine hundred. Things happen in nine hundred years."

"How many 'things' happened?"

"You know how it is. Go to some strange planet. Don't know the law. Suddenly, you've married an alien that looks like a foot."

She folded her arms. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"C'mon, Rose. Don't be like that. You're the love of my long, strange life. And I mean that. _Over nine hundred years_, and I have never loved somebody like I love you."

"Bet you say that to all the girls," she smirked, mocking anger.

"I don't."

She studied him carefully and pulled him into a long, passionate snog session. Once they pulled away for air, she smiled. "So. We're getting married."

"Yes we are!"

"Something tells me you're not one for a church wedding."

"I'd rather not."

"Outdoor wedding?"

"That sounds lovely."

"Okay. How many people?"

He grimaced. "Honestly, I don't have many friends here. My only family is your family."

"I don't have many friends either," she agreed. That was the bad thing about living on a parallel world. Even if you found your old mates, they would have no idea who you are. "So, let's say family only."

"Brilliant."

"Who do you want for your best man?"

"Oh," he frowned, thinking about it. He thought of Donna first, but obviously that was problematic. Next was Jack, even if he would have flirted with everyone, but again he wasn't there. "Everyone's in the other world. I have a few mates at work, but they all think I'm a bit odd. I'm proud of that. Still, no best mates."

She sighed sadly. "Well it's a good thing we have each other. I'm in the same boat as you."

"Even in all your time here? No best friends?"

"I spent all that time here looking for you," she admitted. "Friendship wasn't high on my list of things to do."

They shared a laugh, understanding what had to be done. No frills. No fuss. A quick wedding in Pete's backyard with Pete, Jackie, Tony, Wolf, and someone authorized to marry them. No one else. It'd still be perfect since it was still them. And that's what they were about. Each other.

"Now, honeymoon…" Rose winked mischievously. "Remember that planet you wanted to take me to? Barcelona?"

"Yes! Oh, gorgeous planet. You would have loved it."

"So let's go to Barcelona. I know it's not the planet, but it's a start for an Earth-life together. What do you say, Mr. Davies?"

"I say that sounds perfect, Mrs. Davies. A perfect wedding and a perfect honeymoon for my perfect Rose."

She ran her fingertips down his face. "I love you, Doctor."

"I love you, Rose."

_Some months later…_

John stood on the garden of Pete Tyler's estate with one of Pete's friends, who just happened to be qualified to marry people. He fidgeted with his tie and glanced up, breathless by the sight before him. Rose Tyler was in a wedding dress and hanging onto her father's arm. He had seen all kinds of things in his time, but nothing could compare to how beautiful she looked. She walked up to him and smiled, and he smiled back. Jackie, Pete, Tony, and Wolf stood nearby to watch the ceremony. John didn't hear anything the man said until Rose whispered, "I do."

He waited until the right time and also said with all of his one heart, "I do."

They exchanged rings and laughed slightly at just how strange life could be. "You may now kiss the bride."

"With pleasure," he smirked, leaning in for the kiss.

Jackie ran over with the dog, in tears, hugging both of them and rambling about how she always knew it would work out. Pete shook John's hand and hugged his daughter, moving back to let Tony get his hugs in. Wolf leapt on both of their legs, wagging and barking. John took Rose's hand and they walked back towards the house as a married couple, being chased by Wolf.

"You are so stuck with me," she chuckled, poking her tongue out teasingly. "Right until we're old and in a retirement community."

He grimaced. "We'll never be that boring. I just know that we'll be the only two elderly people in London riding around on scooters and causing mayhem."

"Is that a promise?"

"Oh yes, Rose Davies. It's you and me to the very end. But for now," he scooped her up and ran for the door to the house. "Barcelona! At last! Allons-y!"

She laughed and they disappeared into the home, Wolf and Tony in pursuit. Jackie took Pete's hand and they smiled at each other. Rose had finally gotten her Doctor, and the Doctor had finally gotten his Rose.

_**End.**_


End file.
